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| The Language |
f it hadn't been explained to me in advance, I might have taken offense at the term gringo. In most of the places I visited, a gringo (or feminine, gringa) was anyone of relatively light skin color from any other country. It generally wasn't any more derogatory than the way we use the term "foreigner" in the US.
In Quito, there was an area which contained a few luxury hotels and a number of small hostels obviously intended for European visitors. Some locals knew that section of town as "Gringolandia" with an implied subtle judgmental bias against it. As a tourist, it took some effort to avoid the hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in Gringolandia, because those were the businesses that advertised and got press in tourist guides. I often had to shut my tourist guide book and inquire locally to find the most "authentic" experiences in lodging, restaurants, stores, and other businesses.
The term chico (or feminine chica) was harder to figure out. I finally decided that any person who looked and acted no more than about young 30s could be called chicos. Even a young mom with a baby could be a chica, until her kids were older. It wasn't at all derogatory in the places I visited. In the case of young men, I think it often corresponded to "young guys" in English. I'm no longer a chico with my grey hair, but if my wife had been with me, she would have been a chica.
Nearly everyone knows what a VCR is, even in the tiniest towns in Ecuador and Perú. But they don't call them "VCRs." The term is "VHS," pronounced in a way that sounds to the English-speaking ear, "Bay-Awe-Chay-Es-Say."
| Note to fellow travelers: Moleskin Take Moleskin. You won't find anything like it in Ecuador or Perú, and you'll only make yourself look silly trying to translate a description of it into Spanish at a busy farmacia. Trust me. NOTES INDEX |
In Perú, a toilet is called a water. I didn't quite believe it until I heard it used. I also saw a poster for kids, published in Lima, with pictures of everyday objects for each letter in the alphabet. Like a Sesame Street learning tool. For example, A is for avión (airplane). L is for libro (book). LL is for llaves (keys). And W is for water (toilet). It even had a cute picture of a toilet with a silly happy face.
In any matters concerning food, I normally prefer to avoid gas. Ask to buy a bottle of water, though, and the clerk will ask, "¿Con gas or sin gas?" (with or without gas?). In Spanish, carbonated drinks are said to "have gas." The general term for a carbonated drink is gaseosa. So, if you want your water to tickle your nose, ask for "agua con gas, por favor."
| Sneezes |
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less you."
"Thank you."
In Latin America, especially in more formal situations, after a big sneeze, this is what you'd hear:
"Salud."
"Gracias."
However, in northern Ecuador and possibly other locations, sneezes are acknowledged in a different way among friends who are informal with each other. After the first sneeze the blessing is
"Salud" (health)
After the second sneeze, the blessing is
"Dinero" (wealth)
After the third sneeze, the blessing is
"Amor" (love)
Obviously three sneezes are better than one or two. But after you have health, wealth, and love, what else could a person possibly need? Apparently Ecuadorianos don't sneeze more than three times in a row.
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Index of stories:
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